Engine Issue

[ctrider]

Hi All,

First off my 1600 is stock except for V&H pipes which I bought it with 4 years ago. I added a K7N air filer 3 years ago. Stock other than that. 34K on it. No cam tension replacement.

Friday I headed out on a 3 day 2 night 700 mile trip. Checked the coolant level and oil everything was fine. Cleaned the throttle body and lowered the idle before I left. I don't have a tach did it by ear. Yesterday was 220 mile first day. The bike ran great no issues. Made a few stops and put gas in at each stop.

Today I start riding up a mountain rd. The bike felt hesitant. I hit 5 miles of gravel so i decided to turn around and go another way. As I started back the sound of the bike was different. There was a very low rumble. We all know the sound out bike makes and mine was a lot lower. I also lost power I mean could not on a 50mph rd. 4th gear was sluggish hesitant and just no power on acceleration. My initial thought was one of the V&H pipes developed a crack. I rode it that way on 30 miles back to the hotel I stayed at. In checking the bolts from the pipes to the engine i noticed oil on the rt. side going forward to the front side of the head gasket on the front cylinder some has dripped down to the coolant hose and while running I could see dip forming. Cleaned the area and I had one of the hotel workers check the window for the oil level. She said it was barley visible when I had it level or thought I did. I tilted it a bit more and she could see it. My bike uses oil anyways especially on long rides. I started carrying some T6 with me just in case. I added some rechecked until she said it was 1/3 up. Started home 135 miles. It ran like shit that low growl from the pipes no power no acceleration. 40 miles down the rd. I added a little more. I'm thinking am I going to make it. Got on the interstate rode 35 miles pulled into a rest stop and had another biker help check the oil He said it was 1/2 between the lines. Put just a tad in anyways because I still had 50 to go. When i first started home I was lucky to get 60mph forget 5th gear. I get back on the rd. hoping she would get me home. I noticed it started running stronger. I got off again maybe 10 miles from home shit it down for a bit and when started back. It sounded a lot better and 80% of the loss of power was gone. Still a bit sluggish but I was was cruising at 70MPH in 5th. Got home checked the oil with it leveled with my blocks and the level was just above the high line. looked at the rt. head and did not see any further drips on the coolant screw. Took it off the blocks and ran it and there was no oil dripping from the head gasket. It still was wet and so I cleaned it up. I am down some coolant though 1/2 between low and full. No exhaust smoking but the rt. front cylinder has stronger exhaust coming out than the rear. Just thought that was because the rear was longer crossing under the bike.

Is this weird that all of a sudden power came back and it sounded more normal? Any thoughts besides just a blown head gasket. Would blown head gasket give these symptoms loos of power and low growl to coming almost back to normal?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Tortuga]

I had very similar experience on my '07. First time I dug into the fuel pump and replaced it with an aftermarket one. Tank had rust. Cleaned it. Ran great for quite a while, then on long trip did what you said. Bogged down, no power, was ready to push it off a cliff. Limped to motel. Next day it ran like new for about 200 freeway miles, then started doing it again. Got it home, pushed and pulled connections, sprayed kick stand switch, handlebar switches, fuel pump connections, battery connections, changed fuel filter and it's been running fine. Fuel filter was really dirty. Not sure what's causing it, but repair shops are too expensive and I'm no mechanic, so am going to change fuel filter every couple months and spray and pray over electrical connections till I find a cliff to push it off.

[ctrider]

Thats interesting, My tank has no rust and I had the bike on a tender the night before and ran just fine the next day until this morning. I am down on coolant but I have haven't seen any puddles at the hotel yesterday if it was burning coolant or leaking into the oil with the amount of oil I added would I expect to see the oil above the high line which it is not. I'll check the filter though thanks.

[ringadingh]

I wonder if you had a tank of bad gas, or water in the tank.

[ctrider]

I thought about bad gas but I used the same gas station 2 other times 93 but I did but gas in about 40 miles after filling from that same station and yes there was dew in the morning.

Why is the coolant down?

Im not sure how to insert a pic anymore please check out the 2

You can see it's just under the chrome valve cover... by the way I do keep the bike detailed damn pics lol

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwJ...ew?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwJ...ew?usp=sharing

[ctrider]

changed the oil and it want milky or any water that I could see. I filled the coolant from the low line to full with it cold. Started it up and let it idle until the fan kicked it the thermostat does work the level went above the full line, let it cool down and the level went to the full line. Took it out for a 60 mile ride and it seems fine, sounds like it should and no hesitation. Gor home and checked the coolant level again same above the full line then cooled to the full line. Maybe it was bad gas hard to believe I could ride 35 miles before it did all that, maybe I had a brain melt down. maybe some one didn't want me to stay out for 3 days. I don't know but seems to be fine. I'll change the coolant tomorrow. Just wierd.